Tea and Silk Farming in New Zealand.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4609, 12 October 1883, Page 2

Tea and Silk Farming in New Zealand.

[We have receive 1 from Mr William Cochran, of Dunblane, Perthshire, Scotland, two long but interesting letters on the above industries. They are much too leagthy for our limited space in this issue, but we commence their publication in a series of short consecutive articles.] (To the Editor of the Kvening Star.) Sib, —I had the honor of addressing you on the 2nd May. Since then the halfyearly stock-taking by the merchants of this country of the nation's stores of raw produce has been completed, an' jome important circumstances connected with tea for two reasons. The stocks re^ aining in bond at that period are usu:iliy at their lowest point, and, since tbe intrc Auction of sleam conveyance from Cbina, the new season's teas begin tten to arrive. In former times, when sailing ships alone were employed, a longer interval occurred between tho-e events ; consequent^ there was room for a moderate advance in prices; the harass I merchant bad generally .an opportunity of, to some extent, recoup'Lg himself for previous losses on his early imputations ; the public did not grudge a few more pence per pound for tei which in tuose days rather improved by moderate keeping, and was really better value at the end of each season than at its beginning, bpcause it had been thoroughly cured. Bat tjgb substitution of huge swift si earners to bring botre our tea has effected a very considarabb change, which can scarcely be pronounced for the better. Being more costly fo build, and much more expensive to sail than the clipper ships of 25 ye rs ago, these mighty ste .mers cannot afford to remain idle for any length of tin?e, but must be loaded immediately oa their arrival at a Chinese port, irrespective of the season or the climatic fluctuations by which it nviy have characteris d it. Unfortunate results follow, bhou'.d steamer have rriv^d too early at her moorings, the c.ptain cannot hope to fill up with the choice portion of the new crop, as it is not ready. Still, he is not sent empty away. He geh a cargo of—we'll c :11 the article tea—for the Chinese are never at a loss to supply any number of empty packages with blank spaces left or the name of the vessel, nor to produce from their godowrs vast heaps of a fragrantly smelling something—it may be the curious yet objectionable " Maloo Mixture," or it may be a wholesome enough article but of a past; epoch—with which to fill the chests. Whatever its character, the lettering the packages is quite likely to r^resent the con* tents as "fine new season's Mowing," or " Eaison," or some other favorite brand, and as such the tea goes home to London. Again, flthough the new crop may be hardly ready for shipment, it is possible to hurry the process to completion; and hurri iit is- accordingly, to the injury of the te.i, to the disappointment of the merchant at the reduced price the hastily prepared article fetches, andtothe disgust of the consumer, who year by year mourns over the decadence in the quality of China tea, without understanding the reason or being able to sugge.it'a remedy. Once more, th-3 steamer may arrive after the bulk of the new tea has been despatched, consequently the agents must put on board whatever freight may offer, or send the ship upon the doubtful errand of scraping cargo together elsewhere. In this way room is found at cheap rates for large quantities of very common tea, which ought to be retained in the country for manure, and foo often for the surprising mixture* just alluded to, which bas been described as a combination of iice»husks, ferruginous earth, chopped twigs, carbonised seeds, silkworms drop-* ping, iron filings, partially decayed straw, and willow leaves, mingled with a very little tea—all of which rubbish, in greater or less quantity used tj arrive in London nearly every year. A sufficient amount of moral evil is inflicted upon all concerned by the mere connection with such importations, and could the vile stuff be only retained indefinitely at its destination, the wrong imposed upon society might stop there; but, unfortunately, it is in the nature of dishonesty to spread. When duty-paying produce, such as tea, has been stored for a certain length of t:me, the customs authorities on the one hand, and the wharfinger or storekeeper on the other, begin to clamour for their dues. Under the authority of an Act of : Parliament, passed in 1864, such goods j may be sold by public auction ; accord* j ingly, what is called a " rummage sale" is held, and the article knocked down whenever the bids rise sufficiently high to pay the duty and charges, or even the duty alone, otherwise it is destroyed at the expense of the owner if he cej be ti jaßei*"; On t\e othDe^-mber, 1870, such * *«BflK

mage sale was held in Mincing Lane, in which about 3000 packages of venerable tea were catalogued, part having been 33 years in .bond, and in a state of decay. Although far frcn flavoury in the pleasant sense of the word, this ancient parcel of tea sold for about half a farthing per Ib, the buyer undertaking to pay the duty. Doubtless, it would have been interesting for anyone to have followed the migrations of this mature article of food from its old resting place in the docks to the prodigal tables of the poor, and an imaginative newspaper reporter might easily have depicted in a pathetic style how the recipients had been imposed upon, and the germs of disease introduced into their innocent and unsuspecting teapots through the greed of gain in some of their unscrupulous countrymen. But such a picture would have lacked a chief requisite, it would scarcely have been true to nature, as we now know that,.rubbish like that described, finds no ..favor among - the poor or any other class in this, fastidious old country, but it goes to ; nourish and comfort the well «to; 3b" colonist .and stalwart backwoodsman,: who are certainly well able to- pay for, and would gladly at alf times obtain, a te± of a very different charactefT It is generally the belief here that the Antipodean is accustomed to receive and\ consume the best of everything, and,that, the day is past when shippers could say that " anything is good enough for the Colonies." Certainly the fine'specimens of tea your people, or at all events the people of Australia, had an opportunity of seeing and tasting rat the Sydney and Melbourne exhibitions a few:'years ago, must have had an elevating effect on the public palate, which doubtless has raised its requi-ements far above the litter of the LondonX'ocks. Nevertheless, there seems to be a demand, at any rate an outlet, in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and parts of the United States, for such rubbish, or it would scan sly be sent; and so long 1 as any community does not absolutely prohibit the importation of this refuse, and in your case p;row your own tea, which it has been abundantly proved you might easily do, New Zealand and our other olonies are certain year by ye&r to get an increasing share of ■■. trash. Indeed, as long as yr-.~i Oustams officers admit the " Maloo ..mixture" —I use these words typically a.<s represea^ng all trashy and' 3 adulterated tea—so long will Chinese farmers and merchants postpone their return to the strict honesty of former dajs. (To he continued.)